


Wedding Bells

by Killer_Queen



Series: The Starks: A FrostIron Family [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: FrostIron - Freeform, Gen, Happy Ending, Loki gets to be happy!, M/M, Marriage, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-04
Updated: 2019-04-06
Packaged: 2020-01-04 21:58:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18352511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Killer_Queen/pseuds/Killer_Queen
Summary: With the wedding less than a week away, Natasha finds Loki crying alone in the rain. There seems to be a serious case of cold feet brewing......Can she talk him back round to the idea of marrying Tony Stark, who she knows is his true love?Alternate ending also included: Natasha didn’t realise what was happening when Loki walked off in the rain. Loki wasn’t just walking away from home; he was walking out on Tony. Tony made some huge mistakes. Can he turn things around and make Loki love him again?This is FrostIron, people. Homophobes can just keep scrolling past this.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just a nice, simple FrostIron with one chapter and a happy ending :)
> 
> There is also now an alternate story. It has the same beginning but it changes soon enough into a very different scenario. Still a happy ending! ;)

Natasha found Loki sitting outside in the rain. She had no idea how long he’d been sitting there, or how much longer he would have sat there if she hadn’t stumbled across him. He had his head in his hands. Was he crying?  
“Loki? Are you okay?” She asked. Loki looked up. The raindrops falling onto his face made it impossible to tell if he’d been crying or not.  
“Yes, I’m perfectly alright.” He said. She couldn’t tell if he was telling the truth. Why did he have to be so good at lying!?  
“I just thought I’d check- because you were sitting alone in the rain crying.” She said. Loki rolled his eyes in his usual way.  
“I wasn’t crying.” He said. Again, she didn’t know if it was a lie. There was a silence.  
“So, do you sit alone in the rain often?” Natasha asked. She thought she would have known of that sort of habit after living with Loki for seven years.  
“More often than you know.” Loki said, turning his head away.  
“You don’t sound perfectly alright.” She said, which was true. Loki sounded too perfectly alright. He tuned back to her, putting on that huge grin he did to reassure people.  
“But I am.” He said. The happiness in his voice was just a little too forced...  
“Okay, tell me. What’s wrong? Who’s dead or who’s tried to poison us all again?” She asked.  
“It’s nothing like that.” Loki argued.  
“So it is something?”  
Reluctantly, Loki sat down again. She sat next to him.  
“I’ve just felt a little odd lately.” He finally admitted. He hadn’t seemed odd, thought Natasha, but he was so good at concealing his feelings....  
“Odd?” She asked.  
“Strangely....strangely lifeless.” He explained, looking down at the water pattering on the ground.  
“Try to cheer up. You’re getting married next week.” She said, trying to distract him from feeling....strangely lifeless. To her surprise, his face dropped a little, his brow creasing ever so slightly and his small smile vanishing.  
“Yes.” He said. Something clicked in her brain.  
“Is that it? Getting married? The wedding?” She asked.  
“No, it’s not that....yes, it is.”  
So Loki had cold feet. That wasn’t good.....Tony had been excitedly planning the wedding for two years now....  
“You’ve changed your mind? You don’t want to marry Tony?” She asked. Loki’s face reeled back in shock.  
“No! No, it’s definitely not that...It’s just....this whole affair, this whole wedding....it just isn’t me.”  
“What part of it isn’t you?” She asked.  
“Just....everything. The whole idea of the event.....it’s too much. Too extravagant.”  
Natasha thought of Loki. Everything from his wardrobe to his sense of humour seemed to be overly extravagant. She hadn’t thought that the idea of a wedding could scare him.  
“You’d prefer it without the flower girls dressed in white with little puppies?” She asked. Loki smiled a little. At least he’d been able to talk Tony out of the idea of puppies.  
“I’d prefer it all to be more....quiet. Nothing fussy. None of this silly ceremony decoration or reception. Just....just quiet.”  
So that was it. Loki wasn’t a party person. Natasha didn’t think that dreading your own wedding was a good start to a marriage.  
“Why didn’t you talk to Tony?” She asked.  
“He just seemed so....exited to have a giant occasion. So...so keen.”  
She smiled this time. Yes, Tony was very keen. Very keen to marry Loki in the most expensive way possible. Very keen to have many guests, his friends and his friends’ families....Very keen to have Pepper’s six younger cousins as flower girls as a tribute to his first serious relationship that ended when he realised his other feelings.....Yes, Tony was very keen.  
“I can handle it if it makes him happy.” Loki murmured. Natasha’s heart swelled. Loki would make any sacrifice for Tony. She had never seen two people so deeply in love before.  
“But if it really bothers you, you should say something. It’s your wedding too.”  
Loki shook his head.  
“Less than a week isn’t enough time to change it all. I’ll let Tony have one more grand affair before settling down with boring old me.”

Tony walked out of the en-suite, looking around at the bedroom. He was immediately disappointed to see that Loki wasn’t there. He was so cute when he was asleep.....but where was he? The bedroom door opened and he smiled as his wonderful fiancé walked in, tall, handsome and....soaking.  
“Why are you so wet?” He asked as he towelled off his own hair, his pjs soft on his newly washed skin.  
“I had to go outside.” Loki said simply. Tony smiled, as he could hear the downpour outside the window. He walked up to Loki, fiddling with his dripping shirt.  
“Let’s get this off you.” He teased as he unbuttoned it and pulled the wet fabric away. He stared up (because Loki was so tall!) longingly and happily.  
“What are you looking at?” Loki asked playfully as Tony’s facial expression turned to one of total soppiness.  
“I’m just thinking.” He said.  
“Thinking about what?”  
“Thinking about how this time next week I’ll be looking at my husband. It’s been a long wait.”  
They’d originally planned to have the wedding after six months, but things had gotten in the way (things such as the fact that Clint ended up in hospital with a burst appendix and they both wanted desperately for him to be at the wedding) and they had postponed it for six months. More things had gotten in the way (such as a major crime invasion) and they had pushed it back again. In the end it had been two years since the night Tony proposed.  
“It hasn’t been that long.” Loki said.  
“Two years may not be long for you, but it is for me. You’ll live forever!”  
Loki rolled his eyes.  
“Not forever.” He said. Only a few thousand years....  
“Longer than me. I’ll have been in my grave for a long time by the time you finally pop your clogs...”  
“Don’t talk like that.”  
Tony looked at Loki’s suddenly hurt and tormented expression.  
“I’m sorry. It must be....it must be hard for you to know that you’ll live longer than everyone around you.” He said quietly. Somehow, the two of them had never discussed it in their years together.  
“I don’t like to think about it. I like to focus on the present.”  
Tony smiled, throwing the wet shirt down.  
“Well, in the present, I think you should have a shower before you freeze to death. It’s too cold to stand around shirtless and wet.” He said, though he was sure he could stare at Loki shirtless forever and ever.......Loki rolled his eyes again.  
“The cold doesn’t bother me.” He said. Tony knew that. He knew that Loki loved the cold, felt more alive in the cold. That was why he’d chosen to have the wedding in the middle of autumn. Not too hot but not too cold.  
“Well, put your pyjamas on, then. I don’t want you to make me all freezing like last time...”  
Loki laughed and went to find his pyjamas, buried among Tony’s. After putting them on, he climbed into bed. Tony wrapped his arms around him.  
“Remember, Loki, I love you. No matter what. No matter the colour, shape or size. I’m yours.” He whispered.  
“I know.” Loki whispered back.

Only another half an hour.....Loki straightened his collar for the millionth time. His hands shook and he knew he was paler than usual. He tried hard to make his hair look perfect. Thor was lounging back in a chair behind him.  
“I still can’t believe that you are getting married, Loki.” He teased.  
“Shut-up, Thor.” Loki retorted, his nerves rising.  
“And to Tony Stark! What an interesting marriage this is going to be!” Thor laughed, knowing Loki was on tenterhooks and enjoying his agitated expression.  
“Shut-up, Thor.” Loki repeated. He examined himself in the mirror. His black pants were creased perfectly, his hair in place and looking wonderful as it always did. His simple white shirt with sleeves to the elbow was clean and crisp.....nothing fancy.  
“Oh, how this union will shake Asgard....” Thor pretended to wail, forever the overdramatic drama queen of the two of them, his humour sending Loki even closer to a panic attack.  
“You must be insane if you think I’m ever returning to Asgard after this.” Loki said, turning to face his brother, forever looking for approval. Thor stood up, suddenly serious.  
“Brother, I’ve told you a thousand times that they will not judge you by your marriage.” He said, looking deep into his brother’s green eyes. Loki shook his head.  
“They will. It is not usual to marry as I am about to.” He said. Thor knew it was true....the marriage of two men was unheard of on Asgard, but he wasn’t about to admit that.  
“But you are not a usual person, Loki. You are different in every way.” He said, realising too late that he had said the wrong thing.  
“And I do not wish to give our people or our father another reason to set me aside as different and out of place.” Loki muttered. Thor flinched inside. There was always that problem. Their father.  
“He loves us, Loki. We are his sons.” He said.  
“He loves you, Thor, the perfect son always, who will one day do Asgard proud as king. He has no sympathy left for his cast away adoptee who disgraces his legacy by marrying a man.”  
“I’ll handle his legacy. You, my brother, should just focus on getting married. You deserve the happiness you have fought for.”

No walking down the aisle. Tony hadn’t wanted to put one them into the role of “bride” by doing that. No, they just stood together inside the modern and renovated church, holding hands. He smiled at Loki, who’s face was full of nerves. He was so gorgeous when he was nervous.....the six girls stood next to them, three on each side, dressed so beautifully in light and simple white dresses that Loki couldn’t complain about them being there. Pepper sat in the front row, dressed in light blue with her red hair done perfectly. She caught his eye and smiled encouragingly. He turned back to Loki. His eyes were full of emotion. Those shiny green eyes....He could see tears in them now, and felt his own eyes water. Finally, after so long, he was going to have his dream. Nothing was going to stop them now. They’d been together for five years......it’d taken him a while to work up the courage to propose. It was worth the wait. Everything was perfect.  
“Do you, Anthony Edward Stark, take.....”  
He was barely listening now. He was too immersed in Loki’s eyes. It was almost like a spell holding him, forcing him to look deep into the pools of jade that he would soon be married to.  
“I do.” He said distantly, knowing that he had to say it if he was ever going to be happy.  
“Do you,......”  
He stopped listening all together for a few moments. He’d seen the movies, heard the words.  
“The betrothed have written their own vows.”  
The vows! How could he forget!? He read his from a piece of paper.....but even his own words were unimportant now. But when Loki opened his mouth to speak.....oh, it was like magic. He lost himself in Loki’s words, feeling them wash over him, listening deeply and not at all at the same time.  
“Thank-you, my love, for giving me the happiness I now cherish.”  
Was Loki seriously thanking him? No, that wasn’t right. He had so much more to thank him for. He had Loki to thank for helping him discover his true self, helping him come out of the shell he”d built for himself, almost like another suit of armour. He had Loki to thank for being so understanding of his wish to stay close to Pepper. He had Loki to thank for talking Steve around when they first got together, their friend being unsure and perhaps even a little frightened.....He had Loki to thank for everything. He lost himself again in Loki’s eyes, all words lost. Then he was pulled closer......and the kiss was magic he had never known before. Oh, how he never wanted to pull away from that wonderful kiss, feeling Loki’s soft and tender lips on his.......But then it ended.  
And they were married.


	2. Wedding Bells (alternate story)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natasha didn’t realise what was happening when Loki walked off in the rain. Loki wasn’t just walking away from home; he was walking out on Tony. Tony made some huge mistakes. Can he turn things around and make Loki love him again?
> 
> Basically, whereas in the original story Loki suffers in silence, in this alternate version he speaks up to Tony about his problems with the wedding. Unfortunately, opening up his concerns has terrible consequences.........

Natasha found Loki sitting outside in the rain. She had no idea how long he’d been sitting there, or how much longer he would have sat there if she hadn’t stumbled across him. He had his head in his hands. Was he crying?  
“Loki? Are you okay?” She asked. Loki looked up. The raindrops falling onto his face made it impossible to tell if he’d been crying or not.  
“Yes, I’m perfectly alright.” He said. She couldn’t tell if he was telling the truth. Why did he have to be so good at lying!?  
“I just thought I’d check- because you were sitting alone in the rain crying.” She said. Loki rolled his eyes in his usual way.  
“I wasn’t crying.” He said. Again, she didn’t know if it was a lie. There was a silence.  
“So, do you sit alone in the rain often?” Natasha asked. She thought she would have known of that sort of habit after living with Loki for seven years.  
“More often than you know.” Loki said, turning his head away.  
“You don’t sound perfectly alright.” She said, which was true. Loki sounded too perfectly alright. He tuned back to her, putting on that huge grin he did to reassure people.  
“But I am.” He said.  
“Well, if you’re sure.”  
“I’m sure.”  
Natasha wasn’t sure. There was definitely something wrong, but she knew she wasn’t going to weasel it out of him any time soon.  
“I’m going to go on a walk.” Loki said suddenly. Natasha looked at him in disbelief.  
“In this!?” She asked, gesturing to the rain, dark and cold. Loki shrugged.  
“The cold doesn’t bother me.”  
That was true. The cold didn’t bother him. She watched him as he walked away, until he grew too far away to see through the gloom and wet. She went inside, puzzled.

Tony pulled himself out of the shower. His heart felt heavy, and not in a physical sense. Now that he’d had time to calm down, he knew that he’d overreacted to what had been a fairly simple request. He.....he didn’t want to think of the things he’d said. But he knew he had to apologise to Loki. He loved Loki. He really did. He loved him with everything he had. He shouldn’t have treated him the way he had. Especially not with their wedding only a few days away. He pulled on his pyjamas and shouldered his towel. He opened up the door, knowing he would have to wake Loki up and apologise. He looked into the bedroom. Loki wasn’t there. His heart sank. He dried his hair and sat down on the edge of the bed. Where was he? He’d left Loki in the bedroom when he’d stormed off into the bathroom. He had assumed that his poor fiancé had gone to bed. But, apparently, he had been wrong. There was no sign of Loki. No point sitting around waiting for him.....He’d come to bed later. Tony crawled under the covers and found that it was a lot harder to fall asleep without the comforting warmth and soft breathing of his love.

“Hey, Tony, where’s Loki? I haven’t seen him today.” Steve asked at breakfast the next morning. Tony looked around. He had thought that Loki had come to bed late and woken up early. But there was no sign of him in the kitchen.  
“I don’t know. I haven’t seen him since last night.” He admitted, unable to keep the worry from his voice.  
“Last night?” Steve asked, turning to him. Tony nodded. Natasha looked up from her yoghurt.  
“I saw him last night. He was outside in the rain. He said he was going on a walk.” She remembered aloud.  
“A walk in that weather?” Steve asked, shaking his head.  
“Did he seem okay? He wasn’t acting strangely, was he?” Tony asked, now deeply anxious.  
“No.....Well, yes, he sounded a bit weird.” Natasha admitted. Tony looked at her.  
“You two haven’t had an argument, have you?” She asked when she saw his face.  
“Yes.” He admitted straight up. There was no point lying. Steve was quickly going into soldier mode.  
“Was there anything else strange about him? He didn’t seem sick?” He asked. Delusional soldiers had been known to wander off and get lost.  
“No, he seemed weird, but not sick.” She realised something for the first time, something she had overlooked and not noticed the night before.  
“He had a bag, one of Tony’s backpacks.” She reported.  
Tony ran to the bedroom.  
He checked under the bed. One of his backpacks was missing. The green one, Loki’s favourite. He looked around the room, checking for the utmost detail. Steve and Natasha had followed him.  
“Tony.” Natasha called. He turned to her. She was holding up a photo frame. A photo of he and Loki sat inside, showing them sitting together happily on a park bench. The glass in the frame was smashed. He went over to the drawer, realising that one of the draws was hanging open. Some things were missing. Not many, but some. Enough clothes to fit in a backpack and Loki’s spare daggers. He rested his head against the wood, feeling tears rise.  
“He’s gone. He’s left.” He whispered.  
“Tony, what did you argue about last night?” Natasha asked. Tony pulled himself up and tried to hold together.  
“He wanted to change the wedding.”  
“Change it?”  
“He wanted to change it all. Wanted to get rid of the reception all together, mainly, but he didn’t like the idea of having Pepper’s cousins as flower girls either. The way he was talking, he just wanted to elope in a courtroom and have no wedding at all.”  
They looked at him, waiting.  
“I...I said some horrible things to him. I told him that if I didn’t know better, I’d think he didn’t want to marry me at all. I told him to let me handle it if he didn’t want things to be a disaster......And I said a lot more.” He murmured. The others were silent for a few moments.  
“I’ve heard of a runaway bride...” Steve muttered, looking around.  
“Looks like we have a runaway groom. We better find him.” Natasha said.

Nowhere. Loki was simply nowhere. Nobody had the slightest inkling to where he’d gone. Unfortunately, with Loki being a skilled sorcerer, trickster and intergalactic prince, it didn’t seem he was going to be found unless he wanted to be. They knew he wasn’t missing. He was hiding from them. The day of the wedding loomed closer, with Tony growing sadder and sadder by the day. He wished he could go back in time and stop himself saying all of the things he’d said. If he hadn’t said them, he would still have a happy husband-to-be to hold and whisper sweet nothings to. Now he had nothing but a hole in his heart. He sat miserably on his bed, facing the window, thinking of his mistakes.  
“Stark.” A deep voice rumbled. His heart skipped a beat with fear and he turned around. Thor was standing in the doorway. And he didn’t look happy. He walked over towards him, making each step seem important and fearsome. He stopped only two steps away and grabbed Tony’s shirt, pulling him and forcing him to stand.  
“What.....why-” Tony muttered, his voice trembling.  
“Exactly, Stark. Why?” Thor asked. Tony looked at him, puzzled.  
“Why, Stark, was I preparing to leave Asgard to attend the happy occasion that should have been my brother’s wedding, when my maid came running to fetch me? Why was I summoned to the entrance hall with such urgency that I was sure that a war had broken out?”  
“I don’t....I don’t know.” Tony choked, Thor holding him by the neck now, though loosely.  
“Let me pose it differently. Why, Stark, did I make my way to the entrance hall and find my brother waiting for me, a sobbing mess?”  
“Loki....Loki ran away-”  
“Yes, I know that, Stark. My brother ran away after you broke his heart- no, after you shattered his heart. Why did I find my usually composed and content brother leaning on me for support with tears running down his cheeks? How was I to know what had happened, what was wrong? How, Stark, was I to explain to my mother why her youngest son was suddenly an emotional wreck on her doorstep? How was I to explain to my father why his youngest son was on his doorstep at all and not helping the people of Earth?”  
Thor released him but threw him towards the wall, though not hard.  
“Do you know what I told my parents, Stark?” He asked. Cautiously, Tony shook his head.  
“I told them the truth. I told them that Loki had had an engagement that had been broken by his lover. But I did not tell them the whole truth. I did not tell them who that lover was, that my brother, until very recently, intended to marry a man. I did that to protect Loki from punishment and from the judgment of our people. My mother was hurt that Loki had not told her of the engagement but more hurt that he was so broken. My father cannot stand to see my mother hurt.”  
Thor smiled in a way that Tony didn’t like.  
“He wanted to place a reward of much gold for the capture of Loki’s mysterious lover. There would be a bounty on your head, Stark, if I hadn’t talked him out of it, told him it was a waste of time.”  
Tony’s eyes widened as Thor’s face turned to thunder.  
“How DARE you, Stark!? How dare you break my brother’s heart!? How dare you say the things you said, and believe me when I say that Loki told me every word! How can you sleep at night knowing you have been so cruel to such a wonderful man!?” He yelled. Tony cowered. His throat was frozen with fear.  
“I...I love him.” He managed to stutter. Thor’s expression changed a little.  
“That’s just it, Stark. Love. Love Loki and he will return that love a thousand times stronger. Tell him you care for him and he will never raise an arm to harm you. Love him, and you will rip anyone who hurts him to pieces.”  
Thor loved Loki more than anyone ever could. Tony could almost feel his pieces being ripped....  
“But Loki loves you, Stark. That is why you have hurt him so much. Once again, Loki dared to love and was thrown back into the abyss.”  
“You....you think he still loves me?”  
“I know he does, Stark. I would have killed you already if he didn’t.”  
Tony shuddered at the truth in his words.  
“Please....tell him I’m sorry. Tell....tell him that I hope he finds someone who makes him happier than I did.” Tony pleaded.  
“You can tell him yourself, Stark, when I bring you to him.”  
“Bring me to him?”  
“I am not like my father. I have mercy, and I believe that love deserves a second chance where possible. You are lucky. Lucky that I love Loki so much that seeing him suffering is enough to send me here to fetch you. Lucky that nobody knows you are Loki’s secret lover, so no penalty or restriction will befall you for doing him such an injustice. I will take you to Loki and let you plead for his forgiveness. You will beg, Stark, beg on your hands and knees for him to take you back if you have to. You will do anything, and I mean anything, to make it up to him. You will be in debt for the rest of your life if you get the extreme and near impossible luck of another chance with my brother. You will live every day of your pathetic mortal life making Loki the happiest man alive. You will die after speaking your last words to only Loki, and they will be “I’m sorry”. Your soul will wait for a thousand years for him to pass and join you. You will be reborn and live another life just to do it all again, and still you will not be half sorry enough to deserve Loki. Do you understand, Stark?”  
Tony’s head spun as he tried to process all the words.  
“Yes.” He staid finally. He understood. 

Tony stared at the huge palace. It was beautiful, overwhelming and.......unwelcoming. The large and delicately decorated doors were firmly closed and two guards stood outside them. The shutters on the few visible windows were firmly closed. Despite his anger, Thor couldn’t help showing off his home.  
“What do you think?” He asked.  
“It’s beautiful, but wouldn’t it be better if it was opened up?” Tony asked. Thor nodded.  
“Yes, it does look wonderful when it’s open, but it’s a custom to lock it up when a member of royalty is ill.” He explained.  
“Who’s sick?” Tony asked. Thor gestured rapidly for him to shut up.  
“Loki is.” He said a little loudly, as though performing for the two guards.  
“What-”  
“Shhh.”  
Thor quickly led Tony up the steps, past the main doors and through a smaller one to the side of the palace. They were in a small and private feeling hall.  
“You didn’t say Loki was sick.” Tony said accusingly and worriedly. Thor looked around until he was sure they were alone.  
“He’s not. My mother and father are feigning his illness to draw attention away from his sudden arrival. They do not want the people prying into their business and spreading rumours. Imagine how the tongues would wag if they found out the prince was suffering a broken heart from a canceled engagement.” He finally explained.  
“So he’s fine?”  
Thor threw him a sharp look.  
“No, he’s absolutely not fine. Firstly, he is heartbroken and withdrawn. Secondly, he is suffering from a sudden mystery ailment. Do you understand? Loki is ill.”  
Tony nodded.  
“Where is he?”  
“In his chambers. I will take you there.”

Tony looked at Loki, standing framed against the wall. He was wearing fine robes of soft and shiny green and golden silk. His hair was combed back neatly and a braid hanging near his ear. He looked....gorgeous. This was the sort of setting someone with Loki’s beauty deserved. The sort of luxury that Loki deserved and not even Tony could truly provide, no matter the money in his pocket. The brocade behind him set it off perfectly. There was only one thing wrong...the frown on his face. Loki’s smile was like a magic light shining on a meadow. His frown was like a thunderstorm raining on a marsh. He reminded Tony vaguely of old portraits in ancient homes, caught forever by oil paints. Loki looked at Thor, then to the bookshelf next to him. He did well to pretend Tony wasn’t there at all.  
“I have always told you that you should ask for an appointment before intruding my chambers, Thor.” He said indifferently.  
“And I have always told you that I do not need an appointment to visit my little brother.” Thor replied. Both were now happily ignoring Tony.  
“Then you must at least have an excuse, if not an appointment.” Loki said.  
“My excuse to see you?”  
“Make it good, Thor. Your last one was terrible.”  
It was obvious that the two of them were playing some sort of private game they had between them.  
“Let me see......I wanted to borrow your books on swordplay.” Thor explained. Loki rolled his eyes.  
“You shredded all of my swordplay books when we were children. You told me that practice was better than reading.”  
Thor smiled.  
“So I did. What a shame, I should like to read them now.”  
“Perhaps next time you will think before you shred.”  
“Perhaps I will. Will you be joining us for dinner?”  
Tony thought the conversation was rather formal for two brothers who had known each other their entire lives.  
“Perhaps.” Loki said.  
“In short, you will not be.” Thor said, rolling his eyes.  
“You are right, Thor, I will not be. I wish to dine alone tonight.”  
“Suit yourself, brother.”  
Thor took Tony by the upper arm and they left the room.  
“That went better than I expected it to.” He said.  
“He ignored me the entire time.” Tony moped.  
“Which means he is considering forgiving you. He would have asked you to leave or perhaps killed you if he completely detested you.”  
They walked in no particular direction for a while.  
“Killed me? You keep talking as though Loki’s some sort of destruction machine. He’s never been like that around me.”  
“Being violent is our way, though I do agree Loki is less so than most of us. Do not mistake me, Stark. Loki has done things on the battlefield that would make you shudder, when we were little more than children. He never enjoyed it, but he did what had to be done to protect Asgard and I do not doubt he will do what has to be done to protect himself if he sees fit.”  
“But I don’t want to hurt him! I never meant to hurt him!”  
“But you did hurt him, Stark, and that’s what counts.”  
“What am I going to do now?”  
“You will stay here until he feels ready to acknowledge your existence. You will come with me to see him every day, how ever many days it takes.”  
“Days? What about everything at home?”  
“Do you want to marry my brother or not?”

There was no difference the second day. Or the third. Tony was graciously housed by Loki’s family as his “concerned friend”, as Thor put it. The king and queen had no idea he was actually the cause of all the trouble and the person who had caused their son so much pain. He was glad they didn’t know. He was also glad that they were under the impression that they they were sharing hearty and deep conversations when Thor took him to visit each day. It was easier for them to think that than know that Loki had so far failed to acknowledge Tony at all. Each day, Tony saw Loki in a new beautiful way; reading a book bound in warm brown leather rather than plastic, wearing his hair tied up rather than loose, shining a sword with a cloth and polish rather than Tony’s phone with the edge of a blanket. Each day Tony was reminded again and again that Loki’s life on Asgard offered him so much more than his life on Earth. Even his parents seemed to be warming to him again, or at least his father (as far as Tony could see, his mother was already very warm and loving towards him). Past mistakes seemed to have been forgiven, and Tony was starting to fear that there was nothing he could offer Loki. Why would Loki return to him, a man who had hurt him, when he had a palace and a family? There was nothing on the fourth day. But on the fifth, Loki looked at him. Looked him in the eye. The sixth day there was a slight nod. After a week there was an acknowledgement.  
“Thor, could you leave for a moment?” Loki asked on the seventh day. Thor nodded.  
“Of course, brother. I will go and help father with his papers.” He said, formal as ever. He left, leaving Tony there. Loki looked at him long and hard.  
“What are you doing here?” He asked. Tony thought about it. What was he doing there?  
“I’m....Well, firstly, I’m here to tell you I’m sorry. More than sorry.” He said, knowing immediately that sorry could never be enough.  
“And secondly?” Loki asked curtly.  
“Well......I don’t know.”  
“You don’t know why you’ve gone to great lengths to intrude my home and invade my chambers every day for a week?”  
Tony looked at him. It was time to open up. The man he was speaking to was a stranger, and he needed to speak to Loki if he was going to have any chance. Loki seemed to have buried himself deep within the stranger.  
“I’m here because I want you back, Loki. I’m here because I love you.” He said quietly.  
“Do you think you deserve to love me?” Loki asked.  
“Well.....I...”  
“You told me, Tony, that I was lucky to have you. That I barely deserved the privilege. Do you think you deserve to love me?”  
“Loki, I’m so, so sorry for absolutely everything I-”  
“Do you think you deserve to love me?”  
“No, Loki, I don’t. I don’t deserve to love you, because if I did deserve to, I wouldn’t have ever told you that you were lucky to have me. No, you’re not. You’re cursed to have me, so, so unlucky to have ended up with someone like me. You deserve so, so much more. You deserve some rich girl....or guy.... from some nice royal family who gives you a palace, not a skyscraper in the middle of a dirty city. You deserve to stay here wearing those perfect clothes, not my old T-shirts and those black skinny jeans. I don’t deserve to know you, Loki, let alone love you.”  
“Give me three reasons.”  
“What?”  
“Give me three reasons as to why I should go back with you rather than stay here. You are right. I could have any pick of spouse if I stayed here, though only a woman would be seen acceptable as my own. Give me three reasons.”  
“First reason’s easy. The others miss you, Loki.”  
“Another?”  
“Earth needs your protection. There’s never going to be enough of us to stop all the wrong in the world and you not being there makes a big difference.”  
“Thirdly?”  
Tony looked to the floor, bringing up his courage before he looked up again.  
“Because I love you, Loki, and that’s the difference. I love you and all those rich ladies don’t. I love you, I love you so much that I came all the way to another planet to beg you to come back home and give me another chance. I love you. It just that, Loki. I love you-”  
“Stop.”  
“Please, Loki.”  
“Get out.”  
Tony got out as fast as he could. He nearly ran into Thor as he closed the door.  
“I thought you were doing paperwork.” He said.  
“Over my dead body, Stark. Paperwork is a dreadful thing. I would much rather stand out here, as Loki knew I would.”  
“Did you hear all that?”  
“Not a word. Loki puts spells on his rooms to stop eavesdroppers.”  
“Really?”  
“Really. What happened?”  
“He....he heard me out, at least. I got a chance to talk to him.”  
“And what happened after that?”  
“He told me to get out.”  
Thor nodded.  
“That’s a good sign. I think you’ve done it, Stark.”  
“Why?”  
“Because he heard you out, which means he wants to hear what you have to say.”  
The door behind them opened. Loki walked out, dressed in black skinny jeans, sneakers and a T-shirt with “NYC” written on it in white block letters (wait a minute....Tony had been looking for that T-shirt for weeks!). He had the green backpack slung over his shoulder. He’d gone from a preppy prince to a gangster and Tony loved it. He loved ever single part of Loki. They followed as he walked away. 

Loki dipped into a half bow in front of his parents; a sign of submission from a younger.  
“You are leaving?” Frigga asked when she saw his clothes. She couldn’t hide her disappointment.  
“Yes.” Loki said with a swift nod.  
“Why so soon?” Asked Odin. Loki gave him a passive look.  
“I have had contact and have decided to go back to my engagement.” He said. Odin nodded.  
“I hope she treats you well.” He said. Loki nodded. There was a lot of nodding going on.  
“What will we tell the people? You have only been here for a week.” Frigga said in an attempt to make her little boy stay longer.  
“Tell them that I have recovered from my illness faster than expected.” Loki said. He turned towards Thor and Tony, ready to leave.  
“Loki.” Odin called. Loki turned back.  
“Yes?” He asked.  
“I wish to meet your fiancée before you marry. I must pass my approval.” He said. Loki nodded curtly. He turned around again. He reached for Tony’s hand and took it. Tony’s heart pounded. It was the first time they’d touched in a week. Loki turned back to his parents and led Tony closer.  
“Mother, father, this is Anthony Stark.” He said quietly. There was a heavy silence for several moments. Then, finally, there was a slight nod from Odin. Loki gestured Tony towards Thor and the pair left to wait outside. Frigga left her seat and hugged her son, a few tears in her eyes.  
“Take care of yourself, Loki.” She whispered. Once again, Loki nodded.

Tony straightened his tie. He looked in the mirror and took a deep breath. Finally, after so long, the day had come.  
“Okay, Tony, just calm down. You are not going to stuff up this time.” He said to himself, hoping it was true. It had taken another month to win Loki back enough to talk about overhauling the wedding, and another three to plan it all. He was glad that he was including Loki this time. He realised now that he had been hogging it last time, planning his own wedding without thinking of his husband-to-be. He should have just listened to Loki and perhaps all of the trouble could have been avoided. He took another deep breath and left the room. It was time.

Tony went to bed that night feeling like the luckiest man alive. He was married to a perfect husband who he didn’t deserve, and the whole occasion had been perfect...for him and for Loki. He fell asleep with Loki next to him, holding him and not wanting to ever let go. And when he woke up, he was still there.  
He was so cute when he was asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks if you read both the first and the alternate story! Leave your comments below and tell me which you preferred!  
> 


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